Spinning tongs



April 26, 1 32- DE WITT STONE, SR., ET AL SPINNING TQNGS Original FiledJan. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inven or 7 7 276%]? 5%0149, is

71 17/75 M Z. ,JJAW-MK 1 By Attorney April 1932- DE WlTT-STONE, 92.. ETAL SPINNING TONGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 3. 1930 Inventor531.

Zen 1Z7 fZ om A iiomey Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE DE WIT'J. STONE, SR., ANID WILLIAM B. ADKERSON, F SAYRE, OKLAHOMAsrrNNrNe TONGS 1 Application filed January 3, 1930, Serial No. 418,342.Renewed March 14, 1932.

This invention relates broadly to tools for usein conjunction with welldrilling apparatus and has more particular reference to an improvedclamp 01' tong adapted to engage a pipe section of a string of wellpiping to grip the piping section to facilitate attaching to the pipesection the spinning cable such as is used for rotating the pipesections when coupling one end of the pipe secmj tion to an adjacent endof the next succeeding pipe section of the stringofpiping, it being Wellknown'in the art,thata string of piping comprises a plurality of pipesections the adjacent ends of the pipe sections being ll threadedlyconnected together, and obviously suchconnection requires the spinningor rotating of one of the sections for screwing its ends into'theadjacent end of the next adjacent pipe section of the string.

A primary object of this invention is therefore to provide aspinningclamp or tong comprising a pair of rigidly connectedcomplemental clamping sections adapted to be clamped about the pipe tobe rotated, and

' theinner opposed faces of the clamping section being provided withtoothed jaws for biting engagement with the pipe section when thesections ofthe clamp are tightened about the pipe.

7 A still further objectof the invention is to'provide a clampor'spinning tong of this character havingl suitable means associatedtherewith"whereby the conventional spinning rope coiled about the pipesection may haveits hook carrying end engaged with the clamp ortong fortightening the clamp about the pipe to urge thejaws of the clampingsection into: gripping engagement with the pipe section.

A still furtherobject of the invention is to providea spinning clamp ortong of this character, which is simple in construction, strong,durable, clearly reliable, practical and eflicient in use and otherwisewell adapted for thepurposedesigned.

' Figure l is a top plan View of the improved clamp, the clampingsections being shown in closed position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the clamping sections in openposition.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the improved clamp, formoreclearly showing the use of the clamp.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the clamping sections. Figure 5is a perspective view of a sectional jaw as comprehended by thepresent'invention.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view takep substantially on the line66 of Figure With reference more in detail to the drawings, it will beseen that the improved clamp comprises a pair of arcuate orsemi-circular clamp sections 5 and 6,'respectively, pivotally connectedtogether at one end as at 7. The section 5 at its free end terminates ina pair of spaced parallel offset ears 8 which ears are apertured as at9. The clamp section 6, at its free end terminatesin an outwardlydirected lug 9 adapted to extend betweenthe ears 8 when the clampingsections are arranged in closed position as clearly suggested inFigure 1. Pivoted intermediate its ends between the ears 8 is a latch ordog 10, a pivot pin 11 extending through the intermediate portion ofsaid latch or dog and the aligned opening 9. At one end thereof, thelatch or dog 10- terminates in an enlarged cam head 12 engageable withthe lug 9' when the latter is disposed between the ears 8 andco-operatingtherewith for bringing the sections 5 and 6 inwardly towardone another when pressure or a pull is exerted on the outer end of thelatch 10, in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described. I V

The arcuate clamping sections 5 and 6 have their concave faces inconfronting relation and on said confronting concave faces are eachprovided with an arcuate mortise rib or tongue 13, said clampingsections at their inner ends being thickened as at 14 to provide avertical shoulder 15'at the inner end of the mortise tongue 13. 1

Each of the clamping sections is equipped with a sectional gripping awdesignated generally by the reference character 16. Each of the grippingjaws comprises preferably three sections a, b and 0 and each of thesesections is of arcuate formation clearly suggested in Figure 5. On theirconvex faces, the sections of the jaw are each provided with a mortisegroove 17 for slidably receiving the mortise tongue 13 thus providing amortise joint between the clamping sections and its respective grippingjaw. The sections of the gripping jaw are arranged in end to endrelation when so secured in position on the clamping sections 5 and 6 asclearly suggested in Figure 2.

Each of the sections a, Z), and c of the gripping jaws on their outerconcave surfaces is provided with transverse, or vertically disposedgripping teeth 18,the working edges of the sectional jaw carried by theclamp section 5 being directed in'the opposite direction to the workingedges of the sectional jaw carried by the clamp section 6, as is alsoclearly suggested in Figures 1 and 2. Obviously, this particulararrangement will provide a better gripping action for the clamp and willprevent rotative action of the clamp about the pipe section duringfitting of the pi e section.

For the sake of illustration, in Figure 3, I have shown fragmentarily apipe section designated generally by the reference character A, and inactual practice, the clamp sections 5 and 6 are disposed about the pipesection A, with the teeth of the jaws of the respective section inbiting engagement with the pipe section. The free ends of the clampingsections are secured and maintained in interlocking connection and aredrawn toward one another for urging the teeth of the jaws into grippingengagement with the pipe by the action of the head 12 of the latch 10against the lug 9 disposed between the ears 8, sufficient pressure beingexerted upon the latch 10 for so urging the clamping members inwardlytoward one another as will be occasioned by the pull exerted upon thespinning cable C, which cable as shown to advantage in Figure 3 has oneend portion thereof coiled about the pipe section A, and at said one endis provided with a suitable hook H, which hook is extended through asuitable hook receiving opening 20 in the outer end of the pivoted dogor latch 10 for urging the head 12 of the latch into engagement with thelug 9. Manifestly then, when suitable pull is exerted upon the spinningcable C for spinning or rotating the pipe section A for moving one endof the section into threaded engagement with the adjacent end of thenext adjacent pipe section of the well pipe string not shown, suitablepressure will be exerted upon the latch or dog 10 in the direction ofpull for urging the free end of the clamping sections inwardly towardone another and the jaws of the respective sections into bitingengagement with the pipe section to be spun or turned, and the teeth ofthe jaws so gripping the pipe will prevent any slippage of the clamps.

Each of the clamping sections 5 and 6 on their outer convex sides orfaces is provided with suitable handle forming loops 21 to facilitatethe separating of the clamping sections for moving the jaws of thesections out of gripping engagement with the pipe section, after thepipe section has been threaded into engagement with its complementalpipe 7 section.

While I have herein shown and described the invention as beingespecially adapted for securing together sections of piping in an oilwell piping string it is to be understood that my invention is capablefor use for various other similar purposes wherein spinning or rotatingof any suitable device, where such spinning and rotation is effected ina manner similar to that just described.

Even though we have herein shown and described the preferred embodimentof the invention it is to be understood that the same is susceptible tochanges fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as hereindescribed, and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is 1. In aclamp of the character described, a pair of pivotally connected arcuateclamping sections, each provided on its inner face with a longitudinallyextending mortise rib, means for pivotally connecting said arcuateclamping sections adjacent one end thereof, one of said clampingsections terminating at its free end in a pair of spaced parallel cars,a latching dog pivoted intermediate its ends between said ears, a lugprojecting laterally from the free end of the other of said clampingsections for disposition between said ears when said clamping sectionsare in a closed position, whereby upon application of pressure to saidclamping dog at one end thereof, the opposite end of said clamping dogwill engage with said lug for normally urging said clamping sectionsinwardly toward one another about the object to be clamped, sectionaljaw members carried by each clamping section, said sectional jaws beingeach provided with a mortise groove for receiving the mortise rib of itsparticular clamping section, and the sections of each jaw being disposedin end to end relation and being of arcuate formation, and teeth formedon the concaved face of each jaw section.

2. In a clamp of the character described, a pair of pivotally connectedclamping sections each provided on its inner face with a longitudinallyextending mortise rib, sectional jaw members carried by said clampingsections, said sectional jaws being each provided with a mortise groovefor receiving the mortise rib of the partitcular clamping section, thesections of the jaw members being each provided with teeth, a 111g onthe free end of one of said clamping sections, a dog pivot ally mountedon the free end of the other of said clamping sections and having aconvex edge adapted to engage one face of said lug for retaining theclamping sections in clamping relation, said one face of said lug beingconcaved.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

DE WITT STONE, SR. WILLIAM B. ADKERSON.

